‘Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “Given the overwhelming evidence suggesting that this attack was conducted by Russian intelligence, it is abhorrent that the former first minister is still taking part in a weekly show on Putin’s propaganda channel. End this Trump-like apologism for Putin’s Russia.”’

Wait a minute, that name, Alex Cole-Hamilton, keeps coming up. Is all this ‘pressure’ on Alex Salmond coming from just one awesome Lib-Dem force of nature? He’s the only source of pressure in this identical Scottish Farmer piece:

Alex Salmond under growing pressure to apologise and quit RT chat show

He was the only source of pressure in these Telegraph and Scotsman pieces back in March:

‘Alex Salmond accused of being ‘useful idiot’ as he is urged to quit RT chat show’

Sources tell me Cole-Hamilton had to be reminded not to tuck-in his ‘FREE PUSSY RIOT’ t-shirt, obscuring the word ‘RIOT’, after that last time.

Cole-Hamilton’s heroism was evident earlier (2011) when he caught scurvy rather than reduce his campaigning efforts:

‘An aspiring MSP caught a disease almost unheard of since the days when sailors had to spend months at sea without fresh food. Liberal Democrat Alex Cole-Hamilton, 33, caught scurvy as he spent months skipping nourishing meals while he spent hours knocking on doors to drum up support for his Edinburgh Central campaign. His appalling diet meant he has become only one of a handful of people diagnosed with scurvy in Scotland.’

Interested to hear of Alex Cole-Hamilton’s encounter with the condition of scurvy. I assumed he would be more au fait with the condition scrofula (scrophula for purists) – he does, after all, emit numerous scrofulous comments with nauseating regularity.

Scrofula was also known as ‘The King’s Evil’ and, whilst I’m sure sun-tanned Alex isn’t actually evil, his constant spouting of unpleasant drivel could give uninformed observers that strong impression. He is, naturally, a mighty royalist so would, possibly, view being associated with ‘The King’s Evil’ as a moral quandary – wanting, doubtless, to bask in the ‘royal’ association – but not being so keen on the other aspects of the condition. Ah well – to be a Lib Dem is to be assailed by moral quandaries I suppose?

From beeb Scotland site – edit below: Well done Angus Brendan MacNeil! – I didn’t hear the interview but sounds like a senior SNP spokesman showing a wee bit of gumption in how to handle the beeb tabloid attacks on this matter – Well played that man – here’s hoping some of the others learn from his example:

SNP MP Angus MacNeil ‘will continue to appear on RT’

When asked whether he would now stop appearing on RT, Mr MacNeil replied: “No, I will talk to any media. Many people have issues with the BBC but I am talking to the BBC just now and I will talk to any media at all if it is there and possible.”

He later added: “I think it is above my pay grade to go around and to be able to hold inquiries into every media channel.”